Thyroid Nodules

I think I don't want to to the doctor anymore. After going to the neurologist and finding out that I have some benign(thankfully) conditions going on in my brain, I thouht I was done with bad news. So....I go in for my routine pap and well visit and somehow end up having to have a carotid ultrasound done. I think the doc heard something when she was checking me out. Anyway, I went yesterday to have it done and the tech told me it would be 2-3 days before the doctor got the results. Well, when I got home from my first day of work for the new school year there was a message from my doctor to call back. She said that the ultrasound showed that I have bilateral thyroid nodules and now I need to have and Uptake and Scan test done to check them out further.

I dont know anything about thyroid nodules. I have been searching the internet and see that they can be benign or they can be cancer. I'm wondering if they can be from the MCTD???

I'll keep you posted as I get results. Almost afraid to get blood test results. Had that drawn yesterday too.

Mary Ann

**Diagnosed MCTD(doctor now says it is Lupus),Fibromyalgia,Raynaud's June 2005

Hi Mary Ann--I have hashimotos hypothyroid and other endo problems and I had a scan of the thyroid done a couple of months ago and they were sure I had at least one nodule, then they did the uptake test and decided it's just swollen and bumpy from the hashis. It's difficult for them to tell if you have nodules and a good doc, because of your other problems, will pursue them. Women tend to have more nodules, with most nodules being benign, though women have malignant ones more than men, they have benign ones many more times than men do. I did a lot of research and even looked at pictures of the thyroid ultrasounds and stuff. The thyroid is bumpy so they make mistakes a lot, well, its just hard to tell on the ultrasound, so when they do the uptake test they look for "cold" spots, areas where the thyroid is not working, like dead spots sort of. Even these are normal findings in many women and are usually just maybe something to note and watch. It is frightening though and I fully understand how you feel on this because there is always the chance you are one of the people who has a malignancy. If they do find nodules, I would encourage you to get them biopsied and if your doctors don't want to, consider getting a second opinion, just to be sure, if you are worried. Thyroid cancer is very slow growing usually and one of the ones they have pretty good success curing because you don't have to have a thyroid (though you have to take thyroid hormone afterward for the rest of your life--but if your thyroid is not working properly you will likely be put on it anyway). I will pray for you that you get thorough care on this issue and that everything ends up being benign. It's sounds like you have a lot on your plate and don't need this right now. I've talked to some people that have had their thyroid removed and in some ways it's easier than having benign, degenerative thyroid disease like I have because the docs know my thyroid is going to die, but it never functions consistently from day to day, so one day my thyroid hormone dose seems to low, the next day it is too strong. Of course this creates a nice hormonal rollercoaster effect similar to pms or premenopause or something. So if you ever have to get it out, it probably wasn't working good and you will likely feel much better once it is done, so I've been told. I love being on thyroid hormone, it has given me more energy, better moods and I'm much healthier. I hope you can relax some and you should feel reassured that your doctors are following up on this because often nodules in women are assumed benign due to statistics and the doctors don't follow up on it. Because the cancer is slow growing, they watch and wait. Mary Shomon has a good thyroid site with a forum and actually they do all endocrine it's http:\\about.thyroid.com and there is more info there than you can believe. You need to know that many women are underdiagnosed for hashimotos hypothyroidism and you need to make sure that they test your thyroid autoantibodies (TPOS) because this can be high and damaging your thyroid and causing nodules and swelling even if you have a "normal" thyroid test (TSH). Also, normal for TSH was changed to 3-4 from 6 a few years ago so more women with mild hypothyroid could be treated. There is an online test for hypothyroid on mary shomons site. Hashimotos is an autoimmune disease that is often seen with other autoimmune diseases.Love, Marji

--Doctors are men who prescribe medicines of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less in human beings of whom they know nothing.--Voltaire (1694-1778)

Thank you Marji. I am going to that website right now. Also, you gave me a lot of information and I feel somewhat relieved. I am going to just leave it in God's hands and not worry. I know that worrying will only make me feel worse.

I'll keep you posted.

Mary Ann

**Diagnosed MCTD(doctor now says it is Lupus),Fibromyalgia,Raynaud's June 2005

(((((maryann))))))))), I think Marji really gave you a ton a good information. I think it is such a blessing to not be alone in this. There is always somone here who can help. So on the other part of what you said about Doctors. Boy Can I relate! It seems like every time we go to the doctor they find something else! I went for a mamogram about 3 months ago ( think) and of course that turned into an ultrasound and than the ultrasound turned into "let's keep a eye on it and do another ultrasound in 6 months. Of course that is just one example. So yes I can diffinently relate. You actually get a total shock when you can go have a test done or office visit and they just say everything looks good see ya in 6 months!

I can tell that you are scared and exhausted from all this news and also from the unknown. I would be too.

But let me give you some good news. Nineteen years ago I had thyroid cancer and a one year old baby, an 11 year old son and a 13 year old son, and I was scared out of my wits. My greatest fear was that my baby wouldn't even remember me and I wouldn't get to raise her. I had a biopsy and it showed that it was a large malignt tumor. It was removed surgically and after a day or two in the hospital I was discharged and told to go home and live a good long life. It required no chemo, no radiation, no further treatments at all. And I got to raise my baby who's nearly 20, and her older brothers.

So, if your news is the worse that it could be, I predict that it won't be as bad as you think. Marji was correct when she told you that thyroid cancer is very very slow growing. And mine had been growing for so long that it was protruding from my neck, kind of like a man's adam apple.

I must be so disconcerting to learn one day that there's something growing in your brain, and then to be told there's something growing on your thyroid, not to know what the blood work will show, and just be in a hellish limbo. I pray that all turns out well for you and I hope you'll let us know what you find out.

Hi, Mary Ann. I truly felt your words! I was in a severe car wreck in 1994 that disabled me and have basically had to relearn how to do everything with my "new" self. Just as I began to "rest" and "accept" my life, I was diagnosed last year with lupus after so much guessing and wrong diagnosis'. I was actually relieved to come out with a disease that could actually put a name on all of my complaints. Little did I know how insane this disease would be. I actually thought that because they knew what I had, they could treat me...no more problems. Wrong! I know I'm not dealing with exactly what you are right now, but I know how it feels to be hit hard over and over again. Just hang in there. I know someday we will know the reason for these trials. Take care.Always looking for the silver lining, Sharen

Mary Ann - I had a nodule before ( I called it an extra adams apple) but it ended up being from the Hashimotos. I hear ya on the no more doctors bit. It is enough to make you go nuts sometimes. I don't go a lot of times when I need to but, unfortunately, it is me (and everyone around me) that suffers the consequences. As I have to say to myself; This is not the time to give up. No matter how exhausting physically and emotionally. If it is Hashimotos it is fairly easy to treat. If it is a tumor, it can be benign or not and it is still manageable. So the way I look at it, the odds are in your favor.

Sharen, I feel the same way. Couldn't have said it better. Thankfully, there is always a silver lining somewhere's. Just gotta be open to look for it, even during the rough times.

Mary - Just looked up and saw your statement "He is God, I am not, what a relief". LOL! What a job that must be. Not so bad being human now, huh? I think about stuff like that all the time. Lost control a long time ago. Finally came to the conclusion I never really had it in the first place. Only took about 100 bricks to fall on my head - not bad, it beats a life-time (or more) of bricks.

I really hope you are able to get to recovering from this soon. My prayers are with you - Kristin